Electrical coupling.



PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.-

F. J. SPRAGUE.

ELECTRICAL COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1900.

I N0 MODEL.

Witnesses:-

Patented November 8, 190 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. 'SPRAGUE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIUNOR TO SPRA( U E ELEC"RIGCOMPANY, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEIV JERSEY, A CORPORA- TioN OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,611, dated November8, 1904;.

Original application filed April 30, 1898, Serial No. 679,239. Dividedand this application filed July '7, 1900. Serial No. 22,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LFEANK J. SPRAGUE,& citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattaminthe county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electrical Couplers, of which the followingis a specification, for which I have received foreign patents in France,No. 278,105, dated May 20, 1898, and in Great Britain, No. 11,158 A,dated May 16, 1898.

This application is filed by way of division of my former applicationfor improvements in traction systems, Serial No. 679,239, filed April30, 1898.

The invention consists in certain devices for coupling cables ofelectrical wires, and they are especially applicable for coupling thetrain wires of the several cars of a train equipped in the mannerdescribed in my said former application.

In the electrical equipment of each car there are a number of wires,each of which has a different function. For the simultaneous control ofa number 'of cars coupled together to form a train it is necessary thatconductingwires of like function on different cars be coupled at themeeting ends of the cars. For convenience in effecting the coupling,wires of each car at each end terminate in suitable contacts. Thesecontacts are gathered. together at each end of the car and are supportedin a coupler of suitable construction. Through the couplers atv themeeting ends of the cars the conducting-wires of like function onadjacent cars are coupled together. This coupling of the wires ofadjacent cars may be effected either by cable of wires with the couplerson the cars or by directly mating the couplers at the ends of theconducting-wires of the cars. The several conducting-wires at each endof the car are gathered, preferably, in a single unitary coupler inorder that they may be coupled at one operation. The couplers areconstructed so as to go together in but one way, and as the contactsbear a fixed (No model.)

relation to the couplers only the intended wires can be connected. Thecontacts are similar, and as the wires to which they are attached arenot connected and have different functions they are independent. Theyare disposed in different lines, with the outer contacts in circle, andthe relative position affords the greatest degree of compactnessconsistent with a suflicient separation for insulation. They cantherefore be surrounded by a smaller protecting-casing than would berequired if the contacts were otherwise arranged.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, which forms a part of thisspecification, Fig ure 1 shows the couplers on two abutting cars and ajumper consisting of a flexible cable of conducting-wires with couplersforconnccting the cars. Fig. 2 shows a transverse sec- .tion through thecoupler at one end of the jumper. Fig. 3 is an end view of the couplerof the jumper. Fig. 4 is an end view of the coupler which is attached tothe car with the cover partly broken away. Fig. 5 is a transversesection of the coupler which is attached to the car. Fig. 6 shows a formin which the conducting-wires at the ends of the car terminate in'aflexible cable with couplers at their ends which may be directly mated.Figs. 7 and 8 are views of one .of the two couplers shown at the left ofFig. (i with the protecting-casing in section. Fig. 9 is an end view ofthe coupler of Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 10 is an end view of the couplersshown at right of Fig. 6. tionalviews of the coupler of Fig. 10.

In both forms of couplers the conductingwires of the train end incontacts (1/ I) c s m, which are disposed in a cluster and suitablysupported by the coupler. The functions of the wires attached to thesecontacts are explained at length in my application above mentioned.Briefly stated, current in the wire attached to contact (1 sets thecontroller mechanism of the car for movement ahead.- Uurrent in the wireof contact 1) sets the mechanism for movement backward. Current in thewire of the contact 0 cuts off the current gs-11 and 12 are sec-' in thecar motors and permits the car to coast. Current in the wire of contact.9 turns on current in the car-motors in series, and current in the wireof contact m turns on current in the car-motors in multiple. The numberof conductingwires or the particular functions which they possess,however, is not essential to the invention as claimed in this divisionalapplication.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the coupler for the conducting-wiresof the car is provided with a protecting-casing 1, of metal, which isbolted to the under side of each carplatform. In the casing a block 2 ofinsulating material is tightly fitted, and the plugs which constitutethe contacts are placed parallel to each other and extend through andproject from the face of the insulating material. The three contacts 0,s, and m are in the same line or plane; but the other contacts, a andI), are placed on each side of this plane, and consequently in ditlerentplanes, so that the contacts as a whole form a cluster with theoutermost contacts in a circle. it may be noted that the arrange ment ofthese contacts can be described as being in three vertical planes andalso in three horizontal planes. in the middle vertical plane are thecontacts 0, s, and m and in each of the other vertical planes thecontacts at and 1), respectively. In the middle horizontal plane are thecontacts a, s, and F) and in the other horizontal planes the contacts 0and m, respectively.- The positions of all the contacts are such as willsecure the most compact physical arrangement and theircornpact inclosureby a cylindrical casing. The casing is provided with flanges by which itis bolted to the under side of the car-platform. A. hinged cover 3 isattached to the front of the casing and is closed when the coupler isnot in use. The conducting-wires are connected to the rear endsoi theplugs. The back of the casing is threaded to receive a protecting-cap a.@n one side of the sleeve or casing is a keyway 5. The couplers at theabutting ends of the cars are connected through a jumper. This consistsof a flexible cable containing the connectingwires and terminating ateach end in suitable couplers. Each of these couplers comprises aprotecting casing 6, in which is a block of insulating material 7, andsockets to which the coupling-wires are connected and which arecontained in the block of insulating material. There is a protectingwap8 for the connections between the coupling-wires and the sockets and akey 9, which mates with the keyway in the protecting-casing of thecoupler on the car, so that the two will go together in one way only.The casing of the coupler at the end of the jumper fits inside of thecasing of the coupler attached to the car. The two casings are thereforeunlike and complementary. @n the, casing of the ween jumper-coupling isa horn 10, which is engaged by the cover of the coupler attached to thecar.- The cover latches over the horn and locks the pair of couplerstogether. The sockets of the jumper-coupler mate with the plugs of thecoupler attached to the car-platform and are likewise positioned so asto secure the most compact physical arrangement and to permit theirinclosure by a cylindrical protectingcasing of the smallest possiblediameter consistent with a sufiicient separation of the contactsfromeach other and the casing for their proper insulation. This isespecially important because the jumper is portable, and the'weight ofthe couplers at the ends should be as little as possible. Theconnecting-cable of conducting-wires between the two couplers of thejumper requires a high degree of flexibility, and in order to securethis the conducting-wires lead spirally through the cable in the usualway. Care, however, is taken to properly connect the two terminals inthe two couplers according to the wiring scheme of the car, whichdepends on the functions of the conducting-wires attached to thecontacts and the position of the contacts in the couplers, as set forthin my above-mentioned application for patent. Usually contacts in thetwo jumper-couplers which are opposite' to each other are connected, aswould be the case if the wires were run through the cable in parallelinstead of spiral lines. lit will be seen that the contacts in thecouplers at the ends of the jumper are sockets, which I have completelyprotected by the metal casing. This manner of construction is of greatimportance, since the jumpers are portable and the trainmen in handlingthe jumpers are apt to strike them carelessly or by accident, and if theform of coupler with plug-contacts and cover such as is used on the carWere used on the jumper the danger of breakage would be much greater.The contacts of the mating couplers are plugs and sockets and aretherefore unlike and complementary. When the couplers of the car-wiresare attached near the sides of the car-platforms, they are duplicated ateach corner of the car to permit of the coupling of the car-wires fromeither side of the train. The couplers when thus located have a movementto and from each other of nearly three feet when the train is passingare spread out, and the space within the cap is filled with insulation.This forms an inside shoulder, and in pulling a cable, either inuncoupling normally or when the train .parts by accident, the strain isnot taken on the ends of the wires where they are connected to thecontacts. They are also made waterproof.

Another manner of constructing my coupler is illustrated in Figs. 6 to12; but I prefer the one first described. the, contacts are. flatsprings which are provided with stems that pass through blocks. ofinsulating material 11, the conducting-wires being connected to the endsof the stem. The contact springs lie in notches in the sides of tongues12, which project from the faces of the blocks and are protected by thetongues. These couplers are of such a shape that they will go togetherin one way only without'the necessity of employing a key and'keyway. Inthis form the mating couplers are alike throughout. They may be used inconnection with the supporting-casing of the first form above described.What Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. A pair of mating-couplers, each consisting of a supporting-casing, aninsulating-body supported and protected by its casing, and contacts heldby the insulating body, and a cover for one of the casings which servesas a latch between the couplers, substantiallyas In this second formlating devices upon the several cars, the coupler having a plurality ofcontacts symmetrically disposed in intersecting vertical'and horizontalplanes, the contacts connected with one set of wires being all locatedin the vertical plane, and the contacts of the other set of wires beinglocated in the horizontal plane, whereby upon reversing a car theconnection of the 'set of translating devices upon the said car incircuit with the contacts in the central vertical plane of the couplerwill not be retranslating devices upon the other cars, and whereby theotherv set of translating devices in circuit with the other contacts onthe coupler will be reversed in relation to the correspond ing set oftranslating devices on the other cars, substantially as described.

3. A coupler for a train-line composed ofa plurality ofdirection-controlling wires and a plurality of speed-controlling wires,having contacts symmetrically disposed thereon in intersecting planes,the contacts connected with the speed-controlling wires being arrangedin a vertical plane, and the contacts connected with thedirection-controlling wires being arranged'in a horizontal plane,substantially as described.

' Subscribed by me in New York city this 6th day of J uly, 1900:

FRANK J SPRAGUE.

versed in relation to the corresponding set of

